Interchangeable toy



G. E. BERGER ET AL INTERCHANGEABLE TOY Sept. 28; 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16; 1946 INVENTORS GEORGE E.BERGER JULIA A. BERGER ATTORNEYS Sept. 28, 1948. G. E. BERGER ET'AL INTERQHANGEABLE TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 16, 1946 INVENTORS GEORGE E.BERGER JULIA A.BERGER iatented S ept. 28,1948

OFFICE INTERCHANGEABLE TOY George E. Berger and Julia A. Berger, Two Rivers, Wis.

Application May 16, 1946, Serial No. 670,249

1 Claim.

Our invention refers to figure toys and it has for its primary object to provide a figure having interchangeable or movable parts, each carrying a fastener attachment of the male and female variety. This invention requires some training and skill for young children and it is particularl amusing, interesting and educational.

Another object of our invention is to provide a figure toy having a body and detachable members capable of rearrangement and securement together either by a fastening, such as buttons, whereby children are taught to button articles of wearing apparel, shoes or the like. Thus children are rendered more or less independent by dressing themselves unassisted, the toy being particularly adapted for training in rudimentary schools.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claim, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claim.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of the present invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents an elevation of a toy figure embodying the features of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a magnified detail cross sectional View through one of the joints of the toy, the section being indicated by line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail face view of a circular disc embodying one of the features of our invention.

Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive, illustrate other detachable face views of the toy parts.

Fig. 8 is an assembled face view of a donkey or horse formed from the figure parts.

Fig. 9 is another view of a cart formed from a rearrangement of said figure parts.

Fig. 10 is another face View of a rearrangement of the figure parts illustrating an allegorical animal.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary face view illustrating a padded form of the figure parts.

Fig. 12 is a cross section of the same.

Referring by characters to the drawings, l indicates a body member formed from any suitable fabric, it being understood that all parts of the toy are formed from similar material and 2 that said parts may be varied in color if desired.

The body I, also as shown in Fig. 7, is provided with a plurality of upper and lower buttonholes 2 and the lower buttonholes have fitted therein buttons 3 of arm or leg members 4, similar members being in button connection with a pair of the upper body buttonholes, The last mentioned leg members 4, which also serve as arms for the animal figure, have secured, by buttons 5, ear or hand parts 6.

A foot or neck part I is secured to the intermediate upper buttonhole 2, of the body member, by a button 8, a similar button at the top of the neck portion being secured to a disc 9, which, in this instance, forms a face for the figure. The disc has a plurality of buttonholes 2' therein, as best shown in Fig. 3, and the upper pair of said buttonholes have fitted therein buttons 5 of ear members 6.

The leg parts 4 attached to the body, at the lower ends, are provided with buttonholes 4', into which buttonholes are secured buttons 88' of the neck or foot member I.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the toy figure shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, can be readily assembled or separated, as to its parts, by buttoning and unbuttoning the various male and female fasteners. Hence, the figures may be fabricated to represent various allegorical animals, depending upon the originality of the designer.

For instance, Fig. 8 shows the various parts buttoned together to illustrate a donkey or like animal and Fig. 9, in conjunction with the body I and a pair of the discs 9, represents a cart, while a stillfurther modified figure, with the parts selected and buttoned together, may simulate a rabbit or other fanciful animal, as in Figure 10.

It is borne in mind that in attaching and detaching these parts, a child may become familiar with buttoning and unbuttoning various garments aside from the amusement obtained in producing a novel figure.

While we have shown and described the various figures as being formed from single layers of fabric, it is understood, as indicated in Figs, 11 and 12, that we may, in some instances, form the various parts of double thickness having padding I0 therebetween, with their edges trimmed by fanciful stitching II.

We claim:

An educational toy figure, comprising a plurality of structural elements fabricated from sheet material, capable of being assembled by ordinary buttoning into representations of animals or carlcatured figures, certain elements hav- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing buttons attached thereto and other elements having matched button holes therefor, whereby Number e Date interchangeability of the elements is efiected to 1,226,049 Bachmann y 1917 vary the figure, 5 1,566,301 M llard Dec. 22, 1925 GEORGE E, BERGER. 1,328,765 Grist Oct. 27, 1931 JULIA BERGER 2,059,964 Hempstone Nov. 3, 1936 FOREIGN PA'I'E'NTS- REFERENCES CITED 10 Number Country Date The following references are of record in the 550 928 Great Britain Feb 1 1943 file of this patent: 

